To Rise From the Ashes
by The Storyteller of Dreams
Summary: The process of rebirth isn't what most people would imagine. To let go of life and be reborn takes more than just dying. That is a price to being reborn that Marco knows only too well. A speculation on Marco's past and powers.


To Rise From the Ashes

Summary: The process of rebirth isn't what most people would imagine. To let go of life and be reborn takes more than just dying. That is a price to being reborn that Marco knows only too well. A speculation on Marco's past and powers.

Character: Marco

Genre: Drama/Spirituality

P.O.V: Second

I always imagined that Marco has a second power, like a second flame, you know? Think of the second flame as a different form that other Zoan users have. His normal form uses the blue Flames of Regeneration, while this one is the red Flames of Rebirth, the opposite of his usual flames. This red fire burns and spreads and is as hot as normal blue flames. However, there's a reason as to why he doesn't use it, as you will soon see…

-(X)-

You can feel the crackling of fire, red instead of your usual blue, licking your feathers with too hot tongues. You can hear it whisper to you _"Let go, come to me, join me, hold me." _You are tempted to do so, to let go of your 'current' life and join the fire temporarily before being reborn again.

But something, just like always, holds you back from doing so. Memories of your 'current' life pops to the forefront of your mind. They say that when you die, your life flashes in front of your eyes. You agree, of course, having experienced this over and over.

Your 'current' life was nothing too exciting to watch. It was much the same like you 'other lives'. You run, hide, fly, survive and fight _them_ while waiting for the King to show himself to the world. It is what you have been doing ever since the fall of the Kingdom.

The memories of your 'current' life slowly burn away, like a photo burning. You slowly forget about being trapped by _them_, of the blue skies you flew on and the kind people who had helped you. Your memories of a kindly old couple who took you in and gave you your 'current' name burns and turns to ashes in the dancing fire.

Their names were Adylin and Jacob.

They named you Luke.

Their names were…Ad…and…Ja…?

They named you…Lu?

….

Who were you thinking about?

….

What was your name?

The fire burns hotly around you, quickly pushing you to your limit while whispering soothingly to you. You still have the memories of your 'previous lives', so you do not question why you're burning yourself, opting for rebirth rather than _living_. You remember the promise you and your younger siblings gave to the old King. You remember being one of the two left to carry that promise and fulfill it. To do so you must _survive _first, with whatever means necessary, until that promised time.

Even if you must die and be reborn over and over again.

Even if you must lose yourself to the flames again.

For your brother and sisters.

For your old King.

And for that promised time.

….

For whom are you doing this?

Someone important?

For what are you doing this?

Something great?

…

What did you just thought about?

…

You can't remember. Finally the flames burned your last memories. You wonder why you are here, lying on the burning ground. Do you always have feathers? You can't remember, not that or anything else. Despite your questions on your lack of memories, you can't see a cause for concern. The flames are warm and soothing, even though it's burning you. You can already see your lustrous feathers turning into ashes. But you can't bring yourself to worry, believing in the fire's reassuring whisper.

There was only you and the fire.

As the fire's whisperings reaches its crescendo, you too sang along to its song. It was a beautifully haunting melody, not something an avian or human can make. It was _more, _something that belongs only in legends and myths. If any was watching your rebirth, they would remember this song of fire and death and life for the rest of their lives, its supernatural melody haunting them until they die. You sang along as the fire completely takes and burns you, until you are nothing more than ashes.

The fire flickers, before vanishing altogether as it have done its job. There was an unnatural stillness in the air, a strange quiet following the end of your song and life. Then the wind blows over the spot where you have died and swept away the ashes of your now-previous life to the seas.

-(X)-

There was nothing but bright light when you next open your eyes. In the fathomless white distance, you can see the silhouettes of two people, a boy and a girl. You can sense they are important to you, but can't remember why. Somehow, even though it is supposed to be impossible, you can sense that they are smiling sadly.

You try to reach them, but your movements are sluggish at best. Something is holding you back. You look at the two silhouettes. The boy is shaking head and he can hear, despite the endless stretches between them, the girl's sad, benign words.

"_Not yet, brother."_

You want to ask why. What is happening? Who are you? Where are we? Why are you important to me? But bright light covers you vision and you find yourself fading…and fading…

-(X)-

Sunlight hits your face as you blearily wake up. It feels as if you just have a nice nap. But you quickly realize that something is wrong. You can't remember anything. Not your name, your age –though you look like a child at best- where you are, _nothing_. Everything is a blank. When you try to reach for your memories, they slip away like water. It makes you wonder if that was a memory of a dream and not life.

You sigh. Something tells you that you have experience this before, though you don't know why. If that is the case then there's no sense in crying over spilt milk. You push yourself to your feet and start walking. You'll find your way sooner or later.

For now, you feel that you must keep on walking, until the time has come when…

_When what?_

-(X)-

Thank you for reading! Please review! :D

The Storyteller of Dreams


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